Children between one and four years of age faced the highest fatality rate
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is hosting its annual Kids FarmSafe Week from May 11 to 17 to promote farm safety awareness for children and youth across farming communities. The campaign focuses on nurturing safe habits that protect young lives and support the future of agriculture.
Now in its third year Kids FarmSafe Week encourages farm families workers and rural communities to take active steps toward keeping children safe on farms. The initiative shares practical resources and activities that help reduce health and safety risks faced by young people in agricultural environments.
Recent Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data shows that 435 children and youth lost their lives due to farming related incidents between 1990 and 2020. Children between one and four years of age faced the highest fatality rate, highlighting the need for early safety education.
“Even one child or youth harmed in a farm-related incident is far too many. That is why we must come together as an industry to ensure the safety of kids on our farms is always a top priority,” said Sandra Miller, CASA’s Executive Director.
“Kids FarmSafe Week serves as a reminder about the importance of teaching safety lessons from an early age and making proactive risk prevention a guiding principle on farms so that our young people are protected today and empowered to lead the agricultural sector tomorrow,” said Sandra.
The week features daily themes focused on important safety topics. These include machinery safety rails and road awareness of animal safety safe play and empowering kids to make smart decisions. The campaign also includes an online forum where families can learn about safely raising children on farms.
In addition the week offers a farm safety colouring contest with prizes designed to engage children in a fun and educational way. More details about activities, resources, and learning materials are available through the Kids FarmSafe website.
“Supporting a safety-first mindset from a young age is about giving children the awareness and confidence to make smart decisions on their farm,” said Tabetha Boot, Head of Communications and Industry Relations for BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada. “Through BASF Safety Scouts, and our support of Kids FarmSafe Week and CASA, we’re proud to continue to help farm families turn safety conversations into everyday habits.”
BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada is the presenting sponsor of this year’s campaign. The company works closely with CASA on safety education through teaching kits online tools and the BASF Safety Scouts program which provides free activity kits for families.
A new teaching kit sponsored by BASF, Journey Through FarmLand, is an adventure game filled with safe spaces and hazards!
Kids FarmSafe Week serves as a reminder that keeping children safe on farms requires education awareness and strong partnerships across the agricultural community.
Photo: Journey Through FarmLand Game Kit.
Photo Credit: CASA